Destinations Known | As Singapore-Malaysia border fully reopens, how Singaporeans felt making the crossing for the first time in 2 years
- Singaporeans eagerly queued ahead of the land border reopening on April 1, excited to see friends and family, and go shopping in Johor Bahru
- Things went smoothly despite some saying Malaysia’s contact tracing app MySejahtera was not always accurately reflecting vaccination status
Will the reopening of Lok Ma Chau, Sha Tau Kok and the other crossing points on Hong Kong’s border with Shenzhen in mainland China – whenever it happens – be quite so euphoric as the restoration of the land links between Singapore and Malaysia?
The connections were fully opening for the first time in two years (and 14 days, to be exact).
“Minutes before the land borders were set to reopen at 11.59pm on Thursday (March 31), the waiting crowd began to move,” reported The Straits Times. “At midnight, they streamed by foot, car and motorbike across the checkpoints in Woodlands and Tuas, many heading towards home or meeting family members who were waiting on the other side to pick them up.
“Cars tooted their horns as they drove into the complex, while people on foot clapped and cheered before the jubilant mood quickly settled into one of business as usual of clearing immigration checks.”
The excitement had been building and this would have been a cruel April Fool’s Day trick if it had turned out to be one: “By 10.50pm, more than 200 people, mainly Malaysian, were waiting patiently at Woodlands. At Tuas, some 500 motorbike riders waited eagerly as time went by, some revving their machines in anticipation.”
